Farewell

It has been two days since I returned to the Lost Tavern.

In the past two days,

Li Yao's daily routine returned to what it used to be: studying magical knowledge and practicing alchemy during the day, and analyzing Spell Circuit models and meditating at night... Li Yao enjoyed this leisurely life.

That morning, he woke up from his meditation and went downstairs to see Old Man Lu sitting under the parasol by the door, instructing Chen Xi on sword practice, just like always.

As usual, Li Yao went to practice his Body Refinement Technique next to Chen Xi. After he finished, he lay down next to Old Man Lu.

Then take a sip of the Vitality Potion.

Wow, it's so beautiful!

But Old Man Lu looked a little off, so Li Yao asked curiously, "Old man, what's wrong? Why are you so unhappy?"

Old Man Lu casually said, "I'll be leaving in a few days after I finish off the funeral."

Li Yao paused for a moment, then said "Oh".

He takes it all in stride.

Life is like a banquet that must eventually end.

Besides, Old Man Lu must be getting fed up with all the constant nagging, right? Elderly people shouldn't get angry so often; it's easy for them to...

never mind,

Old Man Lu is about to leave, so he won't say such things anymore.

Li Yao lay quietly, holding his thermos. Autumn in the provincial capital was quite cold, and lying under the parasol in the early morning before the sun came out wasn't very comfortable.

The sofas in the pub are still the best; they're big, soft, and incredibly comfortable to lie on.

After Chen Xi finished practicing his swordplay, Old Man Lu stood up and said, "Chen Xi, I have taught you the basic sword techniques of my lineage. The art of swordsmanship is nothing more than drawing, guiding, lifting, parrying, striking, thrusting, pointing, collapsing, stirring, pressing, chopping, intercepting, washing, clouding, hanging, flicking, slashing, picking, wiping, cutting, stabbing, etc..."

Li Yao was taken aback. "You're not an old man? Try saying it again."

Lu Xingshen: "???"

then,

Old Man Lu repeated, "Draw, carry, lift, parry, strike, stab, point, collapse, stir, press, chop, intercept, wash, cloud, hang, flick, slash, pick, wipe, slice, stab, etc... What's wrong with that?"

Li Yao lay back down. "It's nothing, I was just asking."

Old Man Lu: "!"

I'm fucking...

never mind,

We're about to leave anyway, it's not worth getting angry with this kid.

Old Man Lu turned his face away, and just as he took a breath, he swallowed it back down... Damn it, where was I?

That kid's interruption completely threw him off balance! Chen Xi kindly reminded him, "Sword techniques are nothing more than drawing, pulling, lifting, parrying, striking, thrusting, pointing, collapsing, stirring, pressing, chopping, intercepting, washing, clouding, hanging, flicking, slashing, picking, wiping, cutting, stabbing..."

Li Yao: "..."

Old Man Lu: "..."

Are we here to tell a comedy routine?

Li Yao even turned around for a second, because this wasn't the entrance to De Yun She!

Old Man Lu coughed twice. "That's right, I've taught you all of these. The rest is nothing more than the combination and application of these basic sword techniques. How much strength a person can exert does not depend on what fancy moves he has mastered, but on his mastery of the changes in his own strength. The combination of different sword techniques is different, so the way of the sword is ever-changing, and the key to its application lies in one's mind."

Chen Xi listened thoughtfully.

Old Man Lu was pleased to see this. "That's all for now. This is the last class. From now on, it's up to you."

Chen Xi held the longsword upside down, cupped his hands in a salute, and said, "Thank you... Old Man Lu."

Tsk, he still won't call me "teacher" even now.

Old Man Lu looked somewhat dejected. After helping Chen Xi up, he said, "Wait a moment."

After saying that, he turned around and went back to the bar next door. A short while later, he came down carrying a sword.

It was the sword that Feng Liyan had taken out that day for Chen Xi to use in fighting the enemy.

Old Man Lu presented the sword to Chen Xi and said, "This was originally a gift I was going to give you, but that girl Feng Li found it beforehand and even had you use it to kill an enemy. You returned it to me after that, and now I'm giving it to you again."

Chen Xi accepted the sword and solemnly thanked him, "Thank you."

Old Man Lu: "I hope you will uphold your Original Heart and remain as upright as a sword."

Chen Xi tilted her head and thought for a while before nodding, "Yeah."

Old Man Lu took a deep breath.

It felt as if a burden had been lifted off my shoulders, and I felt much lighter.

He waved his hand. "That's settled then, let's go back."

Old Man Lu turned and left, heading back to the next room.

This departure may mean we won't see each other again for a very, very long time.

Li Yao also stood up, clapped his hands, and said, "Let's go back too."

Chen Xi, holding his sword, said, "Yeah."

Back at the tavern, Chen Xi carefully wrapped the sword in a cloth and then put it away under the bar.

This is a sword used for killing.

I guess I won't need it anymore.

Then put it away. You can just use the unsharpened Iron Sword for regular sword practice.

Li Yao found a comfortable spot to lie down in the bar. He took out his phone and checked it; Lin Xiaowei hadn't come online yet.

In the past few days, Lin Xiaowei has been going online to chat with me about the progress of the interdimensional mission.

She has arrived at that plane of existence and at the post she chose. She's been surveying and gathering intelligence these past few days, and it's estimated it will take a few more days before she can send the detailed information to Li Yao.

In the following days,

Life was uneventful.

The bar next door was so quiet it was as if it were closed; you could only see people going in and out occasionally.

Then one quiet morning, Boss Zhou's voice came from downstairs. "Boss Li, we're about to leave."

A relaxed voice echoed through the street. Li Yao woke up from his meditation, his face still shiny with oil, and poked his head out of the window. He saw two black Grand Cherokee parked by the roadside, their tinted windows blocking any prying eyes. Li Yao asked, "So fast? I was just thinking of treating you guys to a drink."

Zhou Li turned around and jumped into the car, sticking his head out of the window and saying with a grin, "Let's drink again sometime. Let's go."

He waved as the car started moving and drove away.

It felt so light, unlike a farewell.

Li Yao leaned against the windowsill, watching them walk away, feeling a little empty inside.

Then he saw Chen Xi carrying Iron Sword, walking out the door, stepping on the golden ginkgo leaves scattered on the ground, and practicing his sword under the Ginkgo Tree.

His serious demeanor remained unchanged.

But the old man who was always impeccably dressed was no longer under the parasol next to him.

A gust of wind blew, and a few more of the few remaining leaves fell to the ground.

Not long after,

Wearing a reddish-brown Feng Li walked out of the bar next door, carrying a thermos in her hand. She casually lay down in the spot where Old Man Lu usually lay, put down the thermos, and shouted into the bar, "Big Zhao, Xiao Zhao, Old He, Little Wang! Forget sleeping, get up and let's party!"

Then came a flurry of activity from next door.

Even the quiet streets seemed to come Feng Li with a touch of liveliness thanks to Feng Li's loud shout.

then,

The street suddenly became much more lively.

Feng Li lay under the parasol, turned to Li Yao on the second floor and smiled, "Oh, little boss, you're awake? Come down and lie down for a while?"

Li Yao smiled and said, "Okay, I'll wash my face and go downstairs."

First update, second update coming soon.